Abdeslam and Ayari convicted for 20 years

Belgium Salah Abdeslam has been sentenced in Brussels court to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of the attempted murder of police officers in a shooting in Brussels in March 2016.

Abdeslam’s accomplice, Sofien Ayari, was also convicted to 20-year sentence for his role in the shooting, which left four officers injured. Neither accused appeared in court for the session at the Palais de Justicein Brussels, during which the verdict was read out.

Abdeslam lawyer Sven Mary says he will discuss with Salah Abdeslam whether or not to appeal 20- year sentence for 2016 Brussels shootout with police pic.twitter.com/lgFqV2YY5W

Judges said there could be no doubt about the the accused commitment to radicalism as the maximum jail term requested by Belgian prosecutors was accepted. Both terrorists were also convicted for possessing firearms and each fined €12,000.

Abdeslam, who is being held in a high-security prison in northern France, is expected to go on trial for the double Paris attacks in 2020, on charges of murder linked to a terrorist organisation.